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For the peace In Dagbon, your name will forever be etched in our hearts – Yaa Naa hails Akufo-Addo
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has received resounding praise and applause from the overlord of Dagbon Traditional area for superintending the restoration and maintenance of much-desired peace in Dagbon.
President Akufo-Addo, today 15th October 2024, visited the Yaa Naa at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi as part of a scheduled two-day tour of the Northern, North East and Savanna regions.
Yaa Naa Abukari Andani II, the overlord of Dagbon, conveyed the gratitude of Dagbon to the President for speedily yet tactfully resolving the protracted Dagbon conflict which had hitherto claimed lots of lives and stated that his name will forever be etched in the history of Dagbon and the country.
“Your decisive leadership in ending the protracted mediation process between Abudu and Andani families through the esteemed committee of eminent Chiefs which included His Majesty the Nayiri, His Majesty the Yagbonwura and His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is the masterstroke that paved the way for the performance of the funerals of our two deceased Yaa Naa.”
He also referred to President Akufo-Addo’s continued support to ensure the installation of the new Yaa Naa and sustained guidance to maintain the peace in Dagbon.
He continued that the traditional offer of a Bull and a hundred tubers of yam serves as a tangible expression of the deep respect and honour that “I hold for you as friend and benefactor.”
He was also grateful for the appointment of key people from the area to various leadership positions within the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration with the appointment of the first Finance Minister from the North, particularly significant and demonstrating President Akufo-Addo’s recognition of the capabilities and their potential commitment to inclusive leadership.
“May your legacy continue to inspire generations to come, and you will be cherished as a true statesman and champion of peace and security,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo, on his part, said, “the settlement that has seen you preside over the reconciliation of Dagbon and the restoration of the peace and stability of this great kingdom. And I want to congratulate you, on the success of your reign as Yaa-Naa of Dagbon.”
He added that, “the Dagbon case is a great example to all the traditional institutions of our country, that when people work together, they can get positive results, and in you, we have an example of what a wise, sagacious forward looking Chief can do for his people.”
“As I get ready to step down in three months times, it is right for me to go around and thank the people of Ghana for the confidence, the support that they have given to me and to come and say goodbye to you and the people of Dagbon.”
He also thanked Dagbon for the support and encouragement over these last eight years and appreciated the work done together to ensure the peace, the stability and the progress of Dagbon.
President Akufo-Addo also rallied the support of Dagbon for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, saying, “he is not just a worthy son, but a competent, knowledgeable and above all an honest man whom I believe is the person that can continue the work that I have begun.”
Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) successfully holds the African Women’s Health and Wealth Conference (AWoHW) with a call for research and investment into women’s healthcare.
It also called for robust financial systems and encouraged women to generate wealth as well as prioritise their health.
The conference held at the Shippers House in Accra on Thursday, March 5, 2026, was on the theme, “Championing Inclusive healthcare and finance systems for African women and girls.”
Speaking on behalf of Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sabia Kpekata, Programme Officer at the Ministry, said, Financial inclusion remains one of the most critical pathways to women’s empowerment and achieving sustainable development.
According to the minister, it is for this reason that the government continues to support initiatives that expand access to affordable credit, strengthen women-led enterprises and build financial literacy.
“Institutions such as MASLOC, the Women’s Development Bank and other targeted financing mechanisms play a critical role in closing the financial inclusion gap,” she added.
Against this backdrop, she stated that the passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), further strengthens this agenda. By mandating progressive representation of women in decision-making spaces across public and private sectors, the Act ensures that women are not only beneficiaries of financial and healthcare systems, but architects of those systems.
“Women must sit at the policy table where budgets are approved, health priorities are set, and economic policies are designed. This is why the Ministry calls on all stakeholders to push for the effective implementation of the Affirmative Act,” she stated.
Furthermore, she noted that the conference called on everyone to move inclusion from talk to action, incorporating it in budgets, laws, health systems and corporate policies.
She added that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is committed to partnering with stakeholders to build inclusive healthcare and financial systems that serve every woman and girl, regardless of location, income, or social status.
“Let us strive to build a Ghana where opportunity is not determined by gender and where systems are designed to uplift, protect and empower,’ she noted.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, said many women suffer from mental health issues as a result of health financing, adding that this is why President Mahama has initiated the Accra Reset to tackle issues relating to women.
Additionally, she commended the Ghana Enterprises Agency for consistently promoting women entrepreneurs.
Nana Oye Bampoe further touched on some government initiatives targeted at women, adding that the government is intentional about women’s empowerment.
On his part, the convener, Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, said, “Today is not just a conference – It is a declaration. It is a declaration that African women and girls will no longer stand at the margins of systems that determine their health, their wealth, and their future.”
According to her, it is a declaration that sustainability is not a slogan for them, rather, it is a strategy, a commitment and a promise.
She said the greatest resource any organisation, community, nation or continent has is its human resources, adding that the continent’s economic prosperity depends on the quality, productivity and capacity of its labour force, including men, women and young people.
The convener noted that where both genders have equal opportunities and operate at near optimal levels, there will be greater economic Expansion and output for the prosperity of all Africans
Additionally, she stated that to drive inclusive economic growth, reduce poverty, amongst others, there is a need for an intentional and clear alignment to economic and social dynamics in specific contexts.
“This will in turn positively impact the involvement and contributions to drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the overall economic prosperity of Africa,” she added.
She further stated that as 2030 approaches, WISA which officially launched on May 1, 2025 in Partnership with the UN Global Compact on behalf of all Women of Africa and of African Descent, will mark a new beginning to accelerate growth towards the closure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gaps, by being deliberate to center women at the heart of implementation and compliance.
The Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod Jewellery, Getrude Emefa Donkor, said, Saving alone cannot make one financially sound, adding that investing and having other sources of income is the best way to go.
She also provided some tips for women, calling for discipline in spending, and consistency in saving behaviour, as well as inculcating the habit of budgeting.
WiSA is a Coordinating Pan-African Organization that works with other CSOs, NGOs, Corporate Institutions, local and International Development Organizations and individuals to bring all women, men, young people and women groups together (especially those at the grassroots level) to foster the achievement of the SDGs across Africa.
WiSA stands for the development of new perspectives and catalytic ideas towards accelerating growth for the achievement of the SDGs, including closing the Gender Inequality gap.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Promoting Gender Equity In Governance: Felicia Adjei highlights importance of proportional representation
The Member of Parliament for Kintampo South, Felicia Adjei, has made a statement in Parliament on the importance of proportional representation in promoting gender equity in governance.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, she noted that the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121) was a bold step toward encouraging women’s participation, but laws alone cannot guarantee fairness if the electoral system does not support inclusion.
She explained that proportional representation, particularly through Gender-Balance or “zebra” lists where parties alternate between male and female candidates, could help ensure equal opportunities for women in leadership.
The Kintampo MP was of the view that such a system promotes fairness by design rather than leaving representation to chance.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
